We’ve all heard stories about professional chefs and cookbook writers cooking up a storm in cramped quarters with just the basics—a range, a refrigerator, maybe a dishwasher—all within arm’s reach. Now a slew of appliances stand ready to take on the task. Here are our top picks for the small but mighty kitchen.
Ranges and Ovens
Above: Professional performance downsized: The BlueStar 24-Inch Culinary Series Sealed Burner Range in stainless steel has four open burners with up to 21,000 BTUs. Available for natural gas or propane fuel source, it’s $3,195. Above: Super-small but well detailed, the Summit 20-Inch Slide-In Gas Range has four burners, a 2.5-foot capacity oven, and a broiler drawer; $1,017 at AJ Madison. Limited to electric? Summit offers its electric professional-style ranges in 20-inch and 24-inch options. The Summit Professional Series 20-Inch Electric Range and the Summit Professional Series 24-Inch Electric Range in stainless steel feature four coil elements, towel bar handles, and a storage drawer; $949.50 and $1,089, respectively, at AJ Madison. Above: Miele offers an ultra-compact 12-inch Miele Double Combiset Gas Cooktop with stainless steel control knob, sealed burners, electric-spark ignition, and cast iron grate; $1,199 at AJ Madison. Above: No space for a wall oven? Consider one of the new-generation countertop ovens. What used to be known as a toaster oven has moved far beyond just toasting, while still maintaining its countertop-size footprint. The Breville Smart Convection Oven has nine operating modes, including bake, broil, toast, and roast. It measures 18.5-by-16.25-by-11.25 inches and has a 0.8-cubic-foot interior–large enough for a 13-inch pizza (and yes, 13-by-9 baking sheets are available); $249.95 at Williams-Sonoma. For more options, see 10 Easy Pieces: Compact Cooking Appliances.
Dishwashers
Good options for small kitchens on the dishwashing front include 18-inch-wide dishwashers and dishwasher drawers. And also take a look at our favorite countertop dish drainers.
Above: Bosch dishwashers consistently get top billing from consumer magazines. One to consider: The 18-Inch-Wide Bosch Fully Integrated Dishwasher holds nine place settings and has four wash cycles, including a half-load option. It comes with a stainless steel front or one that’s custom-panel ready; $939.10 at AJ Madison. Above: The Fisher Paykel Fully Integraged Single DishDrawer is another good choice. At only 24 inches wide, it holds seven place settings; $729 at AJ Madison. For more options, see Appliances: Dishwasher Drawers.
Refrigerators
The standard refrigerator-freezer has a 36-inch waistline. For smaller kitchens, consider apartment-size or counter-depth fridges that are a mere 24-inches wide (but fat with features). Two other options, the dorm-style mini-fridge and refrigerator drawer, are extreme space savers, though they offer substantially less storage space.
Above: Liebherr makes several sleek, compact, cabinet-depth refrigerators for smaller kitchens. The Liebherr 24-Inch Counter Depth Bottom Freezer Refrigerator has a 13-cubic-foot capacity and is 79.8 inches tall. This Energy Star–qualified stainless design has separate cooling systems for the fridge and freezer, convenient freezer drawers, and an automatic ice maker; $3,279 at AJ Madison. Above: NYC-based appliance company Summit has been specializing in compact refrigerators and freezers for commercial and special use since 1969. The company of late has been expanding its range of apartment-sized products. The Summit 24-Inch Counter Depth Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator fits into a 24-inch opening (it’s 23.63 inches wide and 77.63 inches tall) and offers 11.47 cubic feet of storage space, stainless steel doors, and digital controls; $1,453.50 (without ice maker) and $1,786.50 (with ice maker) at AJ Madison. Above: No room for a standard-height fridge? Consider the dorm-sized but sophisticated-looking KitchenAid Double Drawer Refrigerator Freezer; $2,699.10 at The Home Depot. Above: Refrigerator drawers are another space-saving solution. The compact, multifunctional CoolDrawer Multi-Temperature Refrigerator 3.1 by Fisher & Paykel goes from fridge to freezer to wine cooler at the touch of a button; $2,699 at US Appliance. Above: For more compact options, see 10 Easy Pieces: Best Skinny Refrigerators and 10 Easy Pieces: Compact Refrigerators. Photograph and kitchen design by Ore Studios of Seattle and Santa Fe.
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